The Role of Parasitoid Wasps, Ixodiphagus spp. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), in Tick Control

Species of (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) are parasitoid wasps whose immature forms develop inside ixodid and argasid ticks (Acari: Ixodida). Following oviposition by adult female wasps into the idiosoma of ticks, larvae hatch and start feeding on their internal contents, eventually emerging as adult was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pathogens (Basel) 2023-05, Vol.12 (5), p.676
Main Authors: Ramos, Rafael Antonio Nascimento, de Macedo, Lucia Oliveira, Bezerra-Santos, Marcos Antônio, de Carvalho, Gílcia Aparecida, Verocai, Guilherme Gomes, Otranto, Domenico
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal populations
Arachnids
argasid
Biological control
Biology
Control methods
Deer
Encyrtidae
Females
Hymenoptera
hymenopteran
ixodid
Ixodiphagus hookeri
Laboratory animals
Larvae
Microorganisms
Oviposition
Parasitoids
Pasture
Pathogens
Review
Ticks
vectors
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Summary:Species of (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) are parasitoid wasps whose immature forms develop inside ixodid and argasid ticks (Acari: Ixodida). Following oviposition by adult female wasps into the idiosoma of ticks, larvae hatch and start feeding on their internal contents, eventually emerging as adult wasps from the body of the dead ticks. Species of have been reported as parasitoids of 21 species of ticks distributed across 7 genera. There are at least ten species described in the genus, with being the most studied as an agent for biological control of ticks. Although attempts of tick control by means of this parasitoid largely failed, in a small-scale study 150,000 specimens of were released over a 1-year period in a pasture where a small cattle population was kept, resulting in an overall reduction in the number of ticks per animal. This review discusses current scientific information about spp., focusing on the role of this parasitoid in the control of ticks. The interactions between these wasps and the ticks' population are also discussed, focusing on the many biological and logistical challenges, with limitations of this control method for reducing tick populations under natural conditions.
ISSN:2076-0817
2076-0817
DOI:10.3390/pathogens12050676